Attachment for knockdown furniture.



no. 676,509.. Patented lune l8, l90l.

c. s McNOWN. 1 ATTACHMENT FORKNOOKDOWN FURNITURE.

(Ajaplication filad Feb. 15, 1901.

(No Modah) INVENTOI? WITNESSES cams FETEIB cq. Pqu'rcxu'ma. wAsumomn, ay0,

UNITED STATES PATENT F I CHARLES S. MCNOWN, OF COLUMBIA CITY, INDIANA,ASSIGNOR OF FOUR- FIFTHS'TO WALTER F. MOLAELEN, THOMAS R. MARSHALL, JOHNA. MCNOWN, AND ELMER E. RIOKER.

ATTACHMENT FOR KNOCKDOWN FURNITURE.

SFECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 676,509, dated June 18,1901.

A Application filed February 15, 1901. Serial No. 47,402. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. MoNowN, a citizen of the United States,residing at O- lumbia City, in the county of Whitley, in the State ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAttachments for Knockdown Furniture; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will to enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings,which form part of this specification.

My invention consists of attachments for knockdown furniture.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved interlockingfasteningdevice of simple and economical construction adapted to beemployed in the construction of certain kinds of f urnituresuch ascupboards, wardrobes, sideboards, bureaus, chiifonniers, commodes,bookcases, file-cabinets, and the like as a substitute for screws,nails, or bolts in setting up and securing the assembled parts, wherebythe manufacturer can ship such f urniture in knockdown condition in amore compact form and at lower freight-rates than when set up ready foruse and the dealer or retailer can readily and conveniently assemble theknockdown parts in a firm and secure condition with the use of but fewnails or screws.

Hy invention consists of two cooperating parts rigidly fixed inright-angular relation upon the adjacent edges of the parts which it isdesired to rigidly unite.

The principal novel feature of my invention resides in the applicationto knockdown furniture of a two-part interlocking fastening device bythe use of which the article of furniture upon which it is employed canreadily be knocked down into a compact form for shipment and firmlyassembled or set up for use without the use of nails or screws.

Another novel feature of my invention is the construction andarrangement of the detachable interlocking parts,whereby their fasteningfunction is secured.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my improvement, similarreference-numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, inwhich Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of a common form of cupboard,broken away in part to show the relative arrangement of my improvedattachment therein and also having the back thereof removed. Fig. 2 isan enlarged detail perspective of my improvement in its holdingposition, with the portions of the cupboard to which it is securedbroken away in part and the top removed. Fig. 3 is a perspective detailof the same shown in its position for disengagement, the holdingposition of the hook being shown in dotted outline. Figs. 4 and 5 areside and plan views, respectively, of the cooperating parts.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 1, the staple 1 of my improvedfastening device is rigidly fixed by proper holding-screws or otherproper manner upon the rear face of the front 2 of the cupboard atsuitable points near its opposite edges, preferably at its opposite endsand at or near the middle of its length. To the inner face of the sides3, at or near the adjacent edge thereof, are, rigidly fixed by properscrews the books 4 in cooperative relation with the said staples 1,respectively, whereby when the said hooks 4 and staples l areinterlocked in a holding engagement they rigidly but detachably securethe said front and sides in a right-angular relation,a s shown. The top5 may be secured in position upon the upper ends of the sides 3 in anyproper manner. The shelves 6 are preferably detachably secured inposition by having their ends snugly mounted in transverse grooves 7 inthe sides 3, and the drawers 8 are mounted in position in the usualmanner. The staple 1 is recessed at its central portion upon its inneredge and has its central portion 9 slightly elevated above the aperturedfeet 10 to admit and contain the engaging end of the hook 4, which hasan offset at or near its forward end to facilitate its interlockingfunction.

The manner of employing my improvement thus described is as follows: Theparts 1 and 4 of my attachment are secured in position by themanufacturer, as described, whereby the cupboard can be shipped inknockdown form and readily set up or. assembled by the dealer upon itsarrival. Obviously the hooks 4.- can readily be interlocked with thestaples 1 by first placing the sides 3 in an approximately parallelrelation with the front2 to efiect their engagement, and when the saidsides 3 are arranged in their right-angular position, as shown in Fig.2, they will be rig-.

idly secured in position when the back (not shown) is fastened thereto,which may be done in any suitable manner, the shelves having been firstslipped into their grooves 7. In a similar manner my improved fasteningdevice can be conveniently employed upon many other kinds of knockdownfurniture.

Obviously the mere form of my improved furniture-fastening may bevariously modified without departing from the spirit of my invention,which consists, primarily, in the application of a detachableinterlocking fastening device to knockdown furniture in the mannerdescribed.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by LettersPatent is 1. A fastening attachment for knockdown furniture, consistingof a staple 1 having its central portion recessed upon its inner edge,

and a hook adapted to form an interlocking engagement with the staplefor the purpose specified.

2. A fastening attachment for knockdown furniture consisting of twointerlocking parts, one of said parts consisting of a staple 1 havingits central portion elevated and recessed upon its inner edge, and theother part consisting of a hook t having an offset at its forward endadapted to form an interlocking engagement with the staple, arranged asdescribed and for the purpose specified.

3. A fastening device for knockdown furniture consisting of twointerlocking parts, and adapted to rigidly secure the said furniture inits assembled condition, one of said parts consisting of a hook offsetat its forward end for the purpose specified, and the other partconsisting of a recessed staple.

Signed by me at Columbia City, Whitley county, State of Indiana, this12th day of February, A. D. 1901.

CHARLES S. MONOWN.

Witnesses:

P. H. OHEGSTM, GLADYs HEAGY.

